A Sign of Things to Come
by Emerald Embers
Summary: Unrequited love hurts. One sided Kael/Jaina


**Title: **A Sign Of Things To Come

**Summary:** Unrequited love hurts.

**Prompt:** October 2 - Warcraft, Kael/Jaina: One-sided/Needy - "You only talk to me when you want something."

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How many students had there been in Dalaran across recent centuries? How many princes and princesses, lords and ladies, even peasants with unexpected abilities had studied behind its enchanted walls? And yet, of all those people, it had to be her that he fell for.

That said, for all his complaining and musing, it could never have been anyone else. Jaina was... beautiful. Beyond beautiful. She was smart, capable, fiercely independent without being unfriendly or stand-offish. Hell, if she'd been unfriendly that might have made life easier because he wouldn't have grown close to her, close enough to see that there was nothing ugly in her, nothing dark or twisted or cruel. More priestly than a mage, but lacking their general self-righteousness.

Leaving her alone for long periods at a time felt wrong but the alternative, fretting himself ragged in her presence, felt worse. Every time he looked at her he wanted more, for her to need him back, to show her all the clever tricks an elven tongue could do. When they had to study together, he would speak then - or when a teacher wished them to work together on other matters, early attempts at teleportation or summoning. But it hurt. Breathing in her scent, knowing so much about her from that alone, seemed strange and dirty without her permission.

It was something of a shock when she finally confronted him, nothing agressive or unlike her, simply, "What have I done wrong? You only ever talk to me when you want something, or have to. I thought we were friends?"

He felt a little like one of the tragic heroes in any number of elven sages when he met her eyes, stuck in some ridiculous sonnet about the pain of unrequited love. Epic jokes about a small, cruel twist of fate. "We are. I'm sorry if I seem distant."

She nodded, gave him a long look before moving around the library table to sit by his side, and every breath he took carried her scent 'til he thought he was never going to get it out of his lungs. He couldn't imagine ever wanting to. "Has something happened? Something you're afraid to tell me, or don't want to?"

I think I love you. I want you with me. I might _need _you with me. "It isn't anything important."

Her hand came up to stroke his hair and he closed his eyes, frowned a little in concentration as he tried to force down the instinctive reactions to her accidental, oh so human brushes against his ear. He could die in this limbo, unable to act as she unknowingly stole more of what little soul he had all to himself. "I miss you, Kael. Miss sneaking where we shouldn't be, miss sitting on the grass. Definitely miss fishing with you. We don't talk anymore but I haven't changed."

"I know." God, did he know. The irony was that he wanted to curl up in her lap and tell her all about how painful unrequited love was because she was his friend, but given she was also the object of said unrequited love... "I can't stop thinking about it." About you. He opened his eyes again, watching the concern on her face. She'd feel sympathy for an orc with barely a push.

"If you want, we could go fishing now to talk about it. Or not," and her fingers were soft against his ear, and when had he leant in to kiss her? Either way, he had, and she looked confused and he had to try once, closing his eyes against and kissing her, soft, pliant, shocked... unresponding. He pulled back, barely daring to look, but even now she was sympathetic.

"Oh, Kael, I'm sorry."

"I know. It's fine, I understand." Oh god, ow. He felt more than a little as he'd been kicked in the stomach, remembered that experience well enough to make the comparison.

"I love you as a -"

"I love you," he interrupted, partly to cover the words he knew and understood and never, ever wanted to hear, partly to let her know. He couldn't change it. He loved her as more than a friend, it couldn't be helped.

She still pulled him to his feet before embracing him like a friend who'd just heard about his doomed, unrequited love for some other student in the academy. "You'll find someone else, you're going to live much longer than me. It'll be better for you and we can still be friends, right?"

It wasn't a human trait, it was her. Bright and sweet and wanting to find the good, the resolution to any situation. "Fishing?"

"Sounds good to me," she replied, a little hesitantly, before pulling out of the hug and patting his shoulder. "We can get equipment on the way, I have some money with me. My treat."

He couldn't help feeling almost pleased at the idea despite the nauseous feeling in his stomach. "You're too nice for your own good, Jaina."

"No such thing if you're a decent judge of character," she assured before taking his hand and pulling him along with her.

He didn't deserve her. Didn't even deserve to fall in love with her.

Of all the students in all the centuries he'd found the right one at the right time in the right place.

It was just fate's cruel little twist on things that he didn't happen to be the right man.

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The End


End file.
